


by the light of a payphone

by nebulastucky



Series: codas [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Coda, Episode: s13e05 Advanced Thanatology, M/M, Post-Episode: s13e05 Advanced Thanatology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2019-02-02 00:05:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12715650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nebulastucky/pseuds/nebulastucky
Summary: "You're a real son of a bitch, Cas,” Dean says with absolutely no bite. “Don't pull that kind of thing again, you hear me?”“I don't recall having a choice.” His voice vibrates against Dean's neck.





	by the light of a payphone

Sam has slept through the last three plays of this tape, but jerks awake at the sound of Dean's phone. Typical.

Dean barely glances at the caller ID. It looks like a payphone number. Could be anyone. It's probably Claire looking for help on a case Jody doesn't know she's working - god, they haven't seen Claire in months. He wonders if she knows Cas is gone.

Dean answers the phone. “Yeah?”

The line is quiet for a second. They pass a streetlight.

Then, “Hello, Dean.”

He nearly crashes the car.

It can't be him. He died. He's been dead for weeks. They  _ burned  _ him. What's burned stays dead, right?

“Don't speak, I don't have enough change,” Cas says.

Oh god, this can't be real. It's not him. It's a shifter, or a siren, or a Djinn dream, or _ something.  _ It can't be him.

Cas gives him an address, and says, “I’ll wait.”

The line goes dead. Dean lets the phone drop out of his hand. It crashes against his leg and lands on the floor somewhere next to Sam. He slams his foot on the gas and repeats the address to Sam.

“That's five hours away, Dean,” he says. “Are you sure it's him?”

“No,” Dean says.

They make it in two hours.

 

 

The payphone is exactly where it's supposed to be when Sam and Dean get out of the car, but the man beside it is not. He's supposed to be gone, supposed to be dead.

The coat is different, but the shoulders it covers, the unruly dark hair, and the angel fallen from Heaven are the same. He turns, and Dean feels his heart pounding.

His eyes catch the light when he faces them.

Dean is frozen in place. He wants to -  _ needs to  _ \- run to Cas, to throw his arms around him and never let go. He can't move, because this isn't real. There's no way it's real. He won't move until he knows.

Castiel breathes, “Dean,” and the corners of his mouth turn up the tiniest amount.

Dean moves, because now he knows.

He doesn't know how he closes that distance so quickly, but he's there in a heartbeat, grabbing at Cas and pulling him in. Strong hands snake up Dean’s back and hold him there.

“You're a real son of a bitch, Cas,” Dean says with absolutely no bite. “Don't pull that kind of thing again, you hear me?”

“I don't recall having a choice.” His voice vibrates against Dean's neck. Dean laughs, and it comes out a sob.

“Fuck, I missed you,” Dean whispers, just quiet enough that Sam can't hear from a few feet away.

“I came back.”

Dean pulls away a little, enough to hold Cas's face in his hands.

“Yeah,” he says. “You came back.”

He could do it. Right now, he's just vulnerable enough to let the idea in. He could do it right now, and he doesn't think Cas would stop him. God, he wants to. He's wanted to for  _ years. _

Sam clears his throat, and the thought dies. Cas releases him to hug Sam. Dean watches him, can't take his eyes off him.

He can't believe this is real. He doesn't deserve to have this. He needed a win, but this - this just can't be real. He doesn't deserve this big of a victory.

When Sam releases Cas, it's like there's a magnet inside him, pulling Dean in. Not that he needs much pulling.

Dean puts his hand on Cas's shoulder. Of its own accord, the hand runs down the length of Cas’s arm, all the way to his hand, where it stays. Cas doesn't shake him off.

“Let's go home,” Dean says, and Cas’s smile widens a little bit more. Their hands don't drop until their slow walk to meet Sam in the Impala comes to an end.

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this in the middle of the night bc it needed to be written. 
> 
>  
> 
> im @rogersbuck on tumblr and @nebulastucky on twitter


End file.
